Automobile-lock.



L. L. GLBSON. AuroraoxLE Loon.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, i918- RENEWED DEC. 18. |918. Lg.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. L. GIBSON.

AUOMSBILELOCK.

APPucATloN FILED APR. 29. w18. RENEwED nec. 1s, ma.

1,296,382., Patented MMA, 1919.

.aoroaionrnnnocir i ,seneca Application niet.

ser", semi ne..

To @ZZ wfiom 'ir' may conccfcnf Be it known that lanwrs GIBSON, a citizen of the United States, residing' at lylacon, in the county ci Bibl) and State of Georgia., have invented new and useful lmprovements in Automobilolaocks, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to automobile locks, the object of the invention being to provide simple and reliable permutation lock mechanism for the purpose of rendering' the steering mechanism and cushioning elements of the engine controlling mechanism inoperative on the part of an unauthorized person, thereby preventing the operation of the car and its theft or removal. The lock mechanism is placed for convenient. operation at the head of the steering column directlv in front of the operator who maj,7 manipulate the lock while sitting in his seat in the machine.

With the above and other ,objects in View, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parte, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a. vertical longitudinal section. through the upper part of a steering column of a motor'vehicle, showing the two sections of the steering shaft disconnected.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same parts connected for operation.

Fig'. 3 is a plan View of the steering wheel showing the spark and throttle controls and the mastertumbler of the lockingmechanism.

Fig'. 4t is a cross sectional view illustrating the radially movable and slidable bolts.

Fig. 5 is a similar' view with the bolts drawn inwardly. y

Figs. 6 and 'l'v are plan views of two of the tumblers.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the tubular steering shaft, common to all steering mechanisms of motor vehicles in general.

lin carrying out 'the present iinventionq a car already in use, l remove a portion oz?4 the upper end part or" the shaft l and substitute tli refer a. new section 2, connectingL the same rig LA,lywitl'l c section l. bymeans of a threaded union The tubularv section` 2 is formed at its upper extremity with a ein' cnlar of tenons or projections t, the

sposo of which will appear. When the cir mechanism is to be applied to a nieto? pecicatlon ci. Letters Estent.

Patented Mar. t., tgig..

Renewed December `18, will. .Serial No. 26,26.

vehicle at the time of manufacture thereof,

the section Il' may be made of suii'icient length f l to entend 'lar as-the section 2 of the drawings, which is formed with the projections 4: at its ,upper extremity. I* e l l Mounted for sliding movement longitudinelly upon the section 2 is a head section 5 to which the usual steering rim 6 is secured by spokes 7. The upward movement of the head section 5 is limited in relation to the lower section of the steering column by an annular stop rib 9 on the section 2. 8 repre- `sente the casing; of the steering column. The

head section is formed with internal tenons vor projections 9 which. are ,adapted to t between the projections 4 above referred to so as to cause the sections of the steering shaft to rotate together for steering por` poses. The head section 5 is formed with a cylindrical recess 10 and contains a number of disk shaped tumblers 11 superimposed one upon the other, the upper master tumbler having graduations 12 thereon to register with one or more graduations 13 on the in'- ner hub portion of the steering wheel. The lower tumbler ll is connected pivotally 13 to a circular series of links lwhich are in turn pivotally connected at l5 to a corre sponding series of radially slidable bolts or' gli in order to do this, the tumblers l1 must be Y .arranged by the person knowing the `cornbination in order that the bolts or .obstructions 16 may be drawn inwardly. Then the upper section -5 may he lowered 'so to bring about an interfltting relation loctwcen the projections l and 5.

ln further carrying out the invention, the throttle control tubular shaft 17 and the sprk lead control shaft 18 passing there through are made insect-ions as shown in the drawings, the upper and lower sections of the shaft 17 p having a slip joint connection at 19 and the sections of the shaft 18 having a slip joint connection at 20. The upper sections of saidlshatts 17 Vand i8 have a swiveland supporting connection in the head 'section, so that `when the headsection is raised te observanceJ @einem the tower section of the steering shaft, the sections of the shafts 17 and 18 are-simultaneously disconnected. Therefore, an unauthorized person is neither able to turn the steering Wheels'of the niachine nor is he able to control the engine by means ofthe shafts 17 and l8 Thisniakes it impossible for' an unauthorized person to operate the vehicle or remove the same to another place.

I claim Al. In steering mechanism, a tubular steering shaft comprising an upper section and a lower section,the upper section being movable longitudinally'in relation to the lower section, interfitting projections on the adjacent ends of said upper and lower sections,

lock mechanism housed within said upper section, and means controlled by said lock mechanism and movable into the recesses between said projections to prevent the down- Ward or return movement of said upper section.

2. ln Steering mechanism, a tubular steern 111g shaft compr1s1ng an upper section and a.

lower section, the upper section being mo"- Vor return movement of said upper section,

and engine controlling shafts passing Leanser,

through the sections -osaicl steeringshaft and each made in sections, the sections of leach controlling shaft having a slip joint and detachable connection with each other.

3. In steering mechanism, a tubular steer ing shaft comprising an upper section anda lower section, the upper section being movable longitudinally in relation to the lower section, intertting projections on the adjacent ends of said upper and lower sections, lockxmechanism housed within said upper section, means controlled-by said lock mecha'- nism and movable into the recesses betweenv said projections to prevent tnc downward 0r section, means controlled by said lock mechanism and movable into the recesses between said projections to prevent the downward or return movement of said upper section, and

means for limiting the upward movement of said upper section.

In testimony whereof l alix my signature.

f LEWIS GEESON, 

